Private islands with homes are rare. In areas, like the Gulf shore and warm areas like the Caribbean, they are occasionally available. Less so in the areas of the northern United States. However, one went up for sale recently, in a place that is very cold for much of the year. The island with a 3,273 square of living space, is in Lake Minnetonka to the west of Minneapolis, where temperatures are below freezing for much of the winter. A new owner will need to pay $2,195,000 for these 21 acres surrounded by water.

The island has 4,000 feet of shoreline, according to Realtor.com. It has a five-bedroom home built in 1972, plus a guesthouse, bunkhouse and beach house. Among them, they include eight bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The island houses have their own address: 4800 Spray Is, Mound, MN. Mound is a city located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, which has about 10,000 residents. Over 98% of the people who live in the city are white. Less than 1% of the families in the city live below the poverty line.

Lake Minnetonka covers 14,528 acres, which makes it among the largest lakes in Minnesota, which is often called the land of 10,000 lakes. The island is not terribly useful much of the year, except for, perhaps, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

The average low temperature in January in nearby Minneapolis is 7 degrees Fahrenheit. The record low is 41 degrees below zero. The island in Mound may be habitable, but barely. If the ice is thick enough, the owners may not need to use a boat to get there from the mainland.

Owning the house could be expensive. With a traditional 20% down payment, the monthly cost will be $10,244. Of that $7,340 are for principal and interest. Another $2,287 covers property tax. Base on the weather, the owners will need another home.

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